Call for ban on student housing in St Andrews

Economist warns of social impact of HMOs on schools and other services in residential areas in bid to ban new applications for town centre

A blanket ban on housing in multiple occupancy in St Andrews is needed, according to an academic from the university.

A moratorium in the town centre has merely magnified problems created by‘ stud en ti fi cation ’, according to economist Dr Ross Brown.

He has pressed Fife Council to urgently rethink its policy on HMOs and ban new licences being issued.

Since the 2011 moratorium, 750 new licences have been handed out. Dr Brown, who has conducted the first independent assessment of the economic and social impact of HMOs, said large concentrations of them can threaten the viability of schools and other services in residential areas. They can also inflate house prices. He said: “Given the gravity of the situation, the council should impose a comprehensive moratorium on new HMOs across the whole town.”

A ban on new HMOs across St Andrews has been recommended by an economist who said a partial moratorium was making matters worse.

Dr Ross Brown said growing levels of “studentification” may be having significant effects on residential areas of the town.

And he warned the spread of HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) could threaten the viability of schools and other public services in the longer term.

Dr Brown spoke out after conducting the first independent assessment of the economic and social impact of the growth of student-occupied homes in the Fife town.

A Fife Council moratorium imposed in 2011 currently prevents planning permission – but not licences – for new HMOs, but it applies only to the town centre.

Dr Brown, of St Andrews University’s school of management, said the scheme had the hallmarks of “poorly constructed and perhaps ill-conceived policy making”. “The council need an urgent rethink,” he said.

“Given the gravity should impose a of the situation it comprehensive moratorium across the whole of the town on new HMOs.

“With the exception of dedicated student housing and university halls of residence, no further private sector HMOs should be licensed until the council has devised a proper, coherent and evidence-based planning and housing strategy for the town of St Andrews.”

Dr Brown said increasing numbers of HMOs in residential areas were inflating house prices, reducing the number of owner-occupied properties and making it harder for university staff to live locally.

“Scarring effects” included litter, poor property maintenance and downgrading of the physical environment in neighbourhoods, he added.

And he said large concentrations of HMOs in local housing markets such as St Andrews could cause displacement and crowding-out of local communities.

He said: “This could potentially have longer-term implications for the viability of public services such as schools, causing feelings of anxiety and disempowerment within the community.”

And far from curbing the number of HMOs overall, Dr Brown said council policy had fuelled a rapid increase in the town.

Since the moratorium was introduced 750 new licences for HMOs in the town have been issued by Fife Council.

An independent assessment of the moratorium, commissioned by the council, has been conducted and options are to be discussed by councillors in January.

The council was asked to comment yesterday but had not responded by the time of going to press.

No further private sector HMOs should be licensed until the council has devised a proper, coherent and evidencebased planning and housing strategy. DR ROSS BROWN